Boot Key Harbor

 This is such a convenient spot for cruisers.  There are large grocery stores a little over a mile away, a West Marine and lots of other support places for mechanical repairs and upgrades.  We can order items on-line and receive regular mail at the harbor headquarters.  There are so many social activities like potlucks and jam sessions.  There are regular bocce ball games, cornhole, pickleball, tennis, softball, Mexican train and so on.  A morning cruiser's net is held every morning by volunteers.  There is even a community garden.  You can participate in as much or as little as you want and if you ever need help folks are willing to pitch in.  It's an amazing place for sure.  The main building is comprised of what we call the headquarters which is the office end of things.  It also has spots for those needing to use power and internet for their computers.  The take one/leave one library is on one wall behind the table set up for mail.  There are also 3 spaces with chairs and cable tv for those wanting to see what's going on in the outside world.  Tables in the middle are for games, chatting, chart sharing, etc.

This large workspace is available free on a 

first-come-first served basis.  Everyone is nice and

keeps the area clean.  People really appreciate the availability

of the facilities and no one wants to be responsible for

the city pulling the spots if they have to pay somebody to clean up

the common use areas.

This building houses the laundry and rows of ensuite shower

rooms.

Some spots along the seawalls can accommodate some boats

with water and electricity.  It's also where the pumpout boats

call home and a sheriff's boat.

The south end of the main building is the socializing area.

This upper deck is shaded and has tables for eating.

The large tiki is site of many activities such as

potlucks and general get togethers.

Jam sessions are for anyone who wants to show

up to sing, play an instrument or just enjoy other's talents.

A bit of whimsy in the garden.  This unique scarecrow

is a community effort of parts.

The community garden.  Some plants are protected from

marauding iguanas with mesh cages.

The inside of the headquarters building.

This shot gives a little perspective on the size of the main  building.

Manatees seem to love the calm waters

of the dinghy canals.  We see one almost

every day.  In previous visits we've also encountered

electric eels and a weird water creature called a sea rabbit.

We've had pipefish come right up to our swim ladder.

It's fun to see what pops up next.

Getting Settled in Boot Key

 We took it sort-of slowly on the first full day.  Our priorities were getting the bikes to the shore, joining the local gym and buying supplies.  We signed up for at least 4 weeks which may seem like a long time but from experience, we know it will fly by.  So much of the area was just the same and that was nice for us.  We were afraid of developers turning our bit of keys paradise into condoville.  Our favorite after church restaurant, however, is gone.  Stout's was a Marathon icon and I know we're not the only ones disappointed in it's closing.  As always, we are so impressed with the overall management of the harbor.  The city staff do an excellent job of keeping everything running smoothly and facilities taken care of in good order.  The harbor is a mix of permanent party, snowbirds and those passing through.  I guess we're somewhere between snowbirds and passing through this trip.  We plan to be here until it's time to head back home but we're not here for the entire winter season like our Northern neighbors.

When we were coming in to the dinghy dock we had to 

watch out for some local residents.

Some folks have junk drawers but for the moment we

have a junk berth.  We really can stow things away and create

space for visitors.  Our forward bunk also has a sink for 

visitor's (and my) convenience.

Sunset our first night on the mooring ball.

We like to have power and comfort so we 

deployed our extra solar panels and

put up the air scoops to get the fresh air down below.

We love the dinghy space we now have.  It seems

like a new dinghy to us but we bought it in 2019!

On to the Keys

 We finally had a weather window that included at least a little wind from the right direction for sailing so off we went.  We thought about diverting to Naples or Little Shark River in the Everglades National Park but the forecasted window wasn't supposed to hold open for long so we pressed on to Boot Key.  That and they had one mooring ball open.  That didn't guarantee us a spot but we gambled that it would still be open once we arrived.  We were lucky and we arrived early enough on the 14th (Valentine's Day) to get on the ball, settle up the financials with the office and still make it to the Dockside Bar and Restaurant for a celebratory drink.  Then it was back to the boat for a bowl of soup and crash in slumber.  Neither of us had managed more than a few hours sleep on the crossing so we needed to catch up.

Leaving Fort Myers we ran across this tug pulling

a large barge with a crane.  He wouldn't answer our radio

calls so we slowed down to avoid him and the drag line between

them.  Usually tugs are very responsive and let you know

their intended course.  Thank God we had plenty of light and room. 

One of our favorite places.  The water between

the old 7 Mile Bridge and the new one.  Marks the

meeting of the Gulf waters with the open

Atlantic.

Into the Atlantic and off to Boot Key Harbor

St. Charles YC and Fort Myers

 We left the anchorage across from Cabbage Key and motored on down behind Captiva North, Captiva and Sanibel.  Sadly the epicenter of Red Tide is in this area and we were both affected but once we turned up river towards our destination, St. Charles Yacht Club, things let up.  We love coming to this club.  It is very protected and the members and staff are friendly.  It is also convenient to the old Fort Myers downtown.  The town has really made an effort to recover from Hurricane Ian and revitalize old town.  We also wanted to see how the former yacht club was faring as well as the old municipal marina.  We took Uber to our starting point, walked all over the area, went to grocery shop then back to the boat with another Uber ride.  We also managed to get laundry done so a total success from our perspective.  Next stop, Boot Key Harbor.

The entrance to the club.  I really love the old ship's wheel.

The club is situated in a gated community and I think most 

of the residents are members.  The palm line entrance

boulevard is so stunning.

We both agreed that the original Ford's Garage restaurant was

a must visit spot.  It is full of fun memorabilia from a bygone era. 

This bar back is full of old pennies. All along the shelves are old

oil cans and old signs advertising different automotive products.

Why Ford, you ask, it's because Henry Ford along with Thomas Edison,

Charlie Firestone and other moguls of their day made Fort Myers

their winter home.  In fact, the Edison-Ford museum is well worth the visit.

Not only was the burger tasty but creative as well.

I always wonder how they get it stamped without

squishing the bun.

Near the waterfront is this art display.  It is

of Ford, Edison and Firestone on one of their many

camping trips.  If you look closely, the pond surrounding

also has frogs, fish and an alligator statues.

This old Ford is proudly the centerpiece of the bar.

Not to be ignored, the ladies' room sinks are old

tires with gas pump spigots with valves to

turn on and off the flow of water.  The door handles

throughout the restaurant are old pump handles.

One of the views of the nicely restored vintage

buildings in old downtown.

Not sure what these awards were for but the cups were 

covered with decals from beer companies.

The other side of the street.

This is an old post office converted to a performing 

art space.  The old post office boxes are still there.

The area has a lot of public art installed along

the street.  This is one of many.

The old municipal marina is still torn up.  All

the sunken vessels are gone but the plans to rebuild 

are still tied up in red tape according to one source.

The history of Fort Myers.  The sign was crooked, not me.

Cabbage Key

 Decongestants seem to be controlling the worst affects of the red tide so we're pressing on from Charlotte Harbor to Ft. Meyers.  This is a particularly beautiful stretch of the waterway.  We usually like to go into Pelican Bay and go ashore at Cayo Costa State Park, but it is still closed from the bay side due to extensive hurricane damage.  We hope it's open on our way back to the Panhandle.  We did stop at another favorite place, Cabbage Key.  It is an historic place that successive owners have worked hard to preserve it's natural beauty while welcoming thousands of visitors every year.  The island has taken a hit with each hurricane but after nearly 100 years, they have figured out how to minimize damage and get back up and running quickly.  The only way to reach the island is by ferry or private boat.  All supplies must be boated over daily and all the detritus of running an inn and restaurant sent back to the mainland.  The water is supplied by a well pumped up into an iconic water tower.  The trails have been cleared and are always fun to walk and see what's new.  Cabbage Key is a place to visit and spend some time.  

A view from the inn's porch looking down to 

the marina and boathouse.

Looking up at the in and restaurant from the dinghy area.

Lots of cabbage palms on Cabbage Key.

This weird looking cactus grows up into 

bushes and trees.  You can see two tendril

hanging from a top tier of the palm.

The afternoon we visited, it was very crowded.

we were lucky to find a sliver of a spot to

park the dinghy.  They have a long dock for bigger

boats that come for a meal along with several slips

for overnight visitors.

The island has numerous gopher tortoises.

They are classified as an endangered species and

these seem to have a good life here.

Looking across the ICW to Useppa Island.  We 

are anchored just off the island our of the way of 

other boat traffic, at least we hope so.

The water tower is solidly built.  It has 

survived numerous hurricanes since it

was built in the 1930s.

A bunch of steps to reach great views.

One of the draws of the inn is the Money Room

in the restaurant.  The current estimate is about $70,000

on every wall and pillar in the room.

One of the newly graded and cleared pathways.

There were a lot of seashells on trees and bushes along

the paths but this one was really loaded!

Moving on to Boca Grande Pass

 We wanted to get some sea miles behind us so we jumped offshore from Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor through the Boca Grande Pass.  This is about a 73 mile trip with our speed being 4-5 kts.  This means a long day!  We were familiar with both passes but preferred to leave early rather than arrive late and anchor in the dark.  Not every boat is lit up at night as they should be so better to be able to see where you stop.  This meant we left well before sunrise which is always sporty when you have to dodge other vessels headed out into the gulf to fish.  David was on the bow lighting up marks so I could navigate down the river and out into the gulf.  The old saw "It's always darkest before the dawn"  is not an exaggeration.  "Dark as the inside of a cow" as David puts it.  Anyway, once the sun showed up and we had plenty of water around us and under us, we were much happier.  It was another windless, calm passage so the only downside will be when have to refuel and watch the dollars disappear.  We found a new anchorage near the southern end of Charlotte Harbor and settled in.  Red Tide is in the area and setting my sinuses dancing and not in a good way.  We'll see if symptoms can be controlled and to see if we head offshore to clearer waters or press on down the ICW. 

The first fish of the trip.  Too bad it wasn't good for eating

so we threw it back.

Moonset the night at Emerson PT.

The rosy fingers of dawn reflected on the water.

Sunrise, a very welcome sight.

David is doing one of his regular engine checks.

We had used the engine so much more than

usual, he is extra vigilant to make sure all fluid

levels are correct and belts tight.

Our bunk is next to the engine area so is also his

work surface.  One reason we'll never have expensive bedding!